Dear Gloria, Thanks, that's great stuff and just what I want. I hope that the short discography will find a place in your archives. I don't feel that gramophone records are given the place they deserve in genealogical/biographical research. Often they are the only clue we have to what the artist did or what they sounded like. Best wishes, Bill ----- Original Message ----- From: "Gloria Pattinson" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, June 05, 2001 11:06 AM Subject: [THEATRE-UK] VAL VOUSDEN > Dear Bill, > > Thank you for all the information on record dealers who may have copies of > my grandfather's recordings. You asked for some biographical details - so > here they are - probably too much, in fact. > > Stage Name - VAL VOUSDEN > Real Name - William Francis Maher MacNevin > > An actor, poet and playwright. Born in Carlow, Eire in 1886; died Dublin > 1951. The Carlow Society put up a yellow plaque on the wall of the house he > was born in - but unfortunately it has the dates of his birth and death > wrong!. > > His Life as and Actor > At the age of six he undertook his first professional appearance in Carlow > Town Hall with the Pepper's Ghost Company when he played the part of Tiny > Tim in 'A Christmas Carol'. > > According to an article in "Carloviana" written in 1953, he used the > stage-name of "Bartley Hynes" during his very early years when he was > touring Ireland and England. He returned to Ireland in 1910 - probably > becoming Val Vousden about this time - and appeared at the Penny Readings > at the Deighton Hall. > > Before the war he played with various stock companies and in his > autobiography "Val Vousden's Caravan", he mentions spending three years with > 'The Royal Stock Company' who were resident at a bijou theatre 'The Theatre > Royal in Warrington' where he played the prince in Hamlet. He then joined > the Carrickford Repertory Company and toured with them until the war came in > 1915. > > During WW1, he was appearing in Cardiff and joined the army, seeing active > service in France and rising to become Regimental Sergeant Major of the > Welch Regiment. > > After the war, he returned to Dublin and started with Roberto Lena's Company > in Newbridge. He then went the the Queen's Theatre, Dublin, where he stayed > for a season, after which he joined James O'Brien in the O'Brien and Ireland > Company, He stayed for three years with this company, going all over > Ireland. He then returned to the Queens in Dublin where he acted with some > of the leading actors and actresses of the day, including May Craig, the > Abbey actress and P.J. Bourke, founder of Bourke's the leading Stage > Costumiers, and Peadar Kearney, later author of the Irish National Anthem. > > During one of his resting periods he met Pearl O'Donnell, a Belfast actress > in Derry, and they were later married. She did Scottish turns and they > toured the country together, returning to the Queen's in Dublin. They had > three daughters, Sheila, Mona and Patricia. > > When Irish radio began broadcasting under Seamus Clandillon, he presented > the very first light entertainment show and continued to be a regular > contributor to Irish radio until he died. The radio station has featured a > brief recording of him on its 75th anniversary web-site in 2001. > > He died at the Clonskea Hospital, Dublin, on 6th June 1951 and is buried in > Glasnevin Cemetary, Dublin. His funeral was followed by a great host of > troupers who regarded him highly. Oddly enough, his was the only funeral to > Glasnevin on that day, a thing that had not happened for twenty years. So > he certainly had the stage to himself! > > Hope this is useful > with kind regards > > Gloria Pattinson > > > > > > > _________________________________________________________________________ > Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com. > > > ==== THEATRE-UK Mailing List ==== > Please DO NOT send virus warnings to the list. > Send them to me at [email protected] and I will take > the appropriate action. > > ============================== > Join the RootsWeb WorldConnect Project: > Linking the world, one GEDCOM at a time. > http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com > >